Why do so many good business ideas bite the dust. For many it is because they are not really as good as they seem, for others maybe the economics don’t work or they are simply to complex to execute. Lastly we have the ‘ideas ahead of their time’, the most frustrating sort is when a good idea bites the dust only to be resurrected some time later and then become wildly successful.

Watching last nights ‘Apprentice’ on BBC really brought the matter into sharp relief, two teams set the same tasks found their ideas built around it, support it and were convinced they could sell it until the cold bucket of reality was tipped over their collective heads. Ego had been nurtured but not tested against common sense. Looking back over ventures that I have directly and indirectly been involved with I can see how many time the ‘good idea’ became an end in itself with large groups of people either promoting or not opposing it because of the energy and support of the sponsor.

It does question the ‘wisdom of crowds’ which statistically may be true but as will all statistics there are sufficient variables to be dangerous!

Next time you have a good idea – try to test it both by restraining your own ego but by giving sufficient weight to the egos of others. The Alan Sugars of this world love great ideas but they also love the consideration of common sense to ensure that they can make money out of them.

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